Mild Burns
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: Aang burnt himself.


A/N: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender, but I wrote this while my phone charged, so here you go. Enjoy I guess. Back to better content from me hopefully soon.

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Fire had been dancing around them for almost an hour now. Both boys were covered in a heavy layer of sweat as they moved through the final set of forms. Zuko offered a few words of congratulations as he stepped back to observe Aang's movements. The young Avatar moved seamlessly through the forms, fire dancing around him in a mesmerizing fashion. Zuko smiled, leaning against a pillar in the courtyard as he watched his pupil. He felt pride cross over him as Aang landed the spin, a flume of fire shooting out into the open sky. They had been working on the move for a week, and seeing Aang finally master it left Zuko more proud than he knew how to express.

A chirping sound touched his ears before Momo landed on his shoulder. He reached a hand up, petting the lemur behind his ear. He looked out towards the cheerful shouts coming down from the beach. Sokka and Suki had claimed the time to themselves that they complained they never got in the crowded beach house. Toph and Katara had headed into the market, looking for new clothes to fit the growing child. It had left Zuko with plenty of space and time to train Aang.

A chipped scream reached his ears, bringing Zuko's attention back. Aang was down on one knee, holding his wrist close. Zuko moved quickly, disturbing Momo in the process. He dropped beneath the younger boy, gently pulling his wrist free. The burn wasn't too terrible, but Zuko knew from experience that if it wasn't tended it, it would cause problems later on. There was a second burn to the boy's upper calf that wrapped around his pale skin. Momo found himself on Aang's shoulder, giving a comforting pat to the child's head.

"Thanks Momo," Aang smiled at the lemur.

Zuko helped Aang stand, letting the boy take his wrist back. He slipped himself under Aang's arm, keeping the weight of the burnt leg. "Let's get you to the kitchen. I think the emergency kit is still in there."

They crossed up the stairs, and made their way through the beach house. It was only a few minutes before they made it to the kitchen. Aang had heavy tears built in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He wasn't going to cry in front of his sifu. Not over such simple burns.

Zuko pulled the chair out, getting Aang to sit before he started searching for the emergency aid kit. It had been left somewhere in the kitchen, a required item considering how often someone got injured in a kitchen mishap. After several cabinet doors, he found the box. He filled a small bowl with cold water and pulled a clean cloth from a draw. A fire was lit in the stove, and he set a kettle on it. Turning back, he watched Momo as the lemur bounced around, trying to make sure Aang was alright.

"Which hurts more," Zuko said, "wrist or ankle."

Aang thought for a moment. "Ankle."

Zuko nodded, sitting on the ground in front of the other boy. He patted his thigh, directing Aang to place his foot there. He did so with a wince. Zuko sighed as he inspected the burn. It thankfully wasn't as bad as he first feared.

"This might sting," Zuko warned, soaking the rag in his water bowl.

Aang nodded, and leaned back in his chair. "Go for it."

Zuko worked carefully, cleaning the burn. Aang hissed between his teeth, but otherwise didn't make much of a comment. Zuko finished cleaning the wound, and carefully began to message the healing ointment into his skin. Aang closed his eyes, feeling the heat leaving his ankle. Zuko's hands were gentle as he worked. He wrapped it, checking to make sure it was secure before getting up from the floor. He propped Aang's ankle on the chair. Dragging another chair over, Zuko repeated the process with Aang's wrist.

The tea kettle went off as Zuko was securing the wrap. He stood, heading off to deal with it.

"I'm sorry," Aang muttered, watching Zuko take the kettle off.

"Accidents happen. Thankfully they're pretty superficial burns. It wouldn't hurt to have Katara check them over, but they should heal on their own. Now, what happened?"

Aang looked sheepish, looking off. "I guess I just made the fire too big. Thought I could handle it."

"It's a learning experience."

"Are you mad?"

Zuko was thrown back from the question. He turned from working on the tea, and raised a brow at the younger boy. "Mad?"

"I burnt myself. We've been firebending for weeks now and I still messed up."

"Aang, you're going to mess up. You're going to mess up a lot."

Aang narrowed his eyes. "Thanks?"

A soft chuckled escaped Zuko's lips. "It's part of learning. I've burnt myself plenty of times while learning. Its an unfortunate part of learning to firebend. It's… an unforgiving element. But the more you learn, the more control you get, the better you'll be with it. You've come a long way since we started."

Aang smiled at that, running a hand under Momo's chin. "Thanks, Zuko."

Zuko brought two steaming cups back to the table. He handed one to Aang. "My Uncle always made a cup of hibiscus for me whenever I got hurt. It's not my best cup, but hopefully its not too terrible."

Taking a sip, Aang had to appreciate how much better Zuko's tea had come since the first cup he made for them. This one was actually drinkable. "Do you have a tea for everything?"

It took a second for the small smile to cross Zuko's lips. "Uncle said there was a tea to fix every problem, and I'm starting to think he was right."

The pair sipped their tea.


End file.
